This year’s observance of the International Day of Families focuses on the role of families and family-oriented policies in promoting education and overall well-being of their members. In particular, the Day is to raise awareness of the role of families in promoting early childhood education and lifelong learning opportunities for children and youth. The Day will highlight the importance of all caregivers in families, be it parents, grandparents or siblings and the importance of parental education for the welfare of children.

The fifty-fifth session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD55) will hold a high-level panel discussion on "Leaving No One Behind: Poverty and Disability" at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 3 February 2017.

The new report of the Secretary-General on the "Third review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002" provides an analysis of the preliminary findings of the third review and appraisal exercise, including the identification of prevalent and emerging issues and related policy options.

The Focal Point on the Family in the Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD) of the Department of Economic and Social affairs (UNDESA) organized an Expert Group Meeting on “Family policies and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda” held 12- 13 May 2016 at UN Headquarters in New York.

The first UN World Data Forum will be hosted by Statistics South Africa from 15 to 18 January 2017, with support from the Statistics Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, under the guidance of the

Indigenous Peoples’

Comunicado sobre la violencia suscitada en la comunidad Shuar de Nankints, Ecuador, por el Sr. Álvaro Pop Ac, Presidente del Foro Permanente para las Cuestiones Indígenas

22 de diciembre de 2016

(Please send information on major international disability events, for possible inclusion in the list to enable@un.org)

• Observances
• Events

Observances

4 January: World Braille Day*

8 February: International Epilepsy Day*